Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Information Procurement topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Broadcasters urge committee to allow single contracts for noncommercial sustaining announcements
Summary
Industry representatives told the committee S42 76 would let state agencies use noncommercial sustaining announcement (NCSA) campaigns through a single contract across agencies, arguing the approach delivers faster public outreach and high return on investment; the committee released the bill.
Industry witnesses urged the committee to approve S42 76 so the state can use noncommercial sustaining announcements (NCSAs) through single statewide contracts.
George Maltin, executive director of the New Jersey Broadcasters Association, told the committee that NCSA campaigns “are an effective hybrid between paid media and public service announcements” and that they provide measurable returns for state outreach budgets. "Each campaign comes with at least a 4 to 1 ROI for our state government partners," Maltin said, citing examples such as early‑voting information and public‑health messaging.
Eileen Keane added that procurement currently fragments media opportunities across platforms and vendors, and that authorizing single contracts for NCSAs could reduce administrative cost and speed deployment of government messages. Proponents argued the change would not eliminate competitive processes for other media and that it would be used selectively where NCSAs are appropriate.
Senators asked questions and the committee ultimately moved and released S42 76 for further consideration; the transcript shows members casting affirmative roll‑call votes. The sponsor and witnesses framed the measure as an efficiency and public‑information improvement rather than a broad procurement exemption.
